Life's Game of Fate
by panaeloons
Summary: Minako stumbles and engages in a battle with the Reaper. Fighting him, she learns a lot about life and regains what she has lost ten years ago.
1. Chapter 1

Well! Here's my second fanfic! It took me days and nights and stay-up-lates to complete chapter one and two since i tend to over-think when i write. :/ I'm exhausted. I never knew writing could be this tiring and... addictive. O.o To all authors out there, I truly admire you, especially SamJaz for being able to just write it out without hesitations and yet produce such marvelous work. I'll never look down on any piece of work again.

*Ahem* Back to this story, well its sequence of events can be rather confusing but lets just say it's meant to be that way. The second chapter is alright though. Just for your convenience, I'll type out a legend at the very bottom, away from sight in case there are people who want to figure things out for themselves first.

Disclaimer: I dont own persona or any of its characters. If i did, who knows what would've happened.

* * *

><p><strong>3rd January 2009<strong>

**Tartarus, 6****th**** Block, Adamah, 220F**

"Everyone, split up and search for the teleporter."

Minako's command echoed in Akihiko's head for a while before moving to do as commanded. Part of him felt that it wasn't right to leave their leader alone while another part of him felt that she is powerful enough to fend for herself. However, he couldn't shake off the feeling of wanting to protect Minako, the first girl he truly loved since Miki.

He frowned and thought to himself as he watched Koromaru and Mitsuru part at a junction, avoiding a shadow lurking nearby.

_I'll have to get stronger. It's the only way I can protect her._

With determination, Akihiko lashed forward at the lone shadow.

...

That particular floor had many dangerous shadows and oddly, various useful rare items too. Every now and then she would also encounter a rare shadow.

Slipping a soma into her pocket, Minako felt that something wasn't right. The floor was constantly expanding at an alarming rate and neither the stairs nor the teleporter is anywhere in sight. Frowning, Minako assured herself that she was just tired.

Suddenly Fuuka's voice interrupted the silence. "Death! I sense death! Everybody, get back immediately!"

Minako's eyes widen at the mention of death. She had encountered Death when they just started exploring Tartarus and it was terrible. Although now SEES has gotten much more powerful and experienced, Minako decided that it is best not to take any chances.

_Exit, exit, where IS the exit?_

In the middle of fumbling her way through the corridors of Adamah, the sound of chains rattling can be heard.

_Clink. Clink. Clink_

Her grip on her naginata tightened and Minako turned as white as sheet before running. She would never ever forget the sound of rattling chains. The memory of Junpei running hard with an occasional stumble and Yukari firing arrows in fear without looking back when they first ventured into Tartarus made Minako smile. For a second she even saw Junpei and Yukari running for their lives alongside her, just like before.

Then came the worst. Two harmony giants appeared along the corridor. Minako took a detour only to lead her to a dead end. Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead and she turned around to come face to face with Death, else known as the Reaper.

Beneath the bandages shrouding its head leaving only a glowing eye, she swore she saw it snicker.

...

Akihiko ran.

He ran to whichever direction Caesar guided him. A swift cry of "Persona!" told him that the battle has begun.

_Faster, stronger, faster, stronger! Move!_

Turning into a junction, two Onnen Musha appeared before him.

"Get lost! Caesar!"

Bolts of lightning from a Maziodyne followed by swift uppercuts to both shadows were enough for the shadows to dissolve into black sticky substances. Akihiko straightened his red vest, swung his school blazer over his shoulder and sprinted off.

...

The Reaper stared straight into her eyes as though reading the strategies running in her mind like a bullet train.

_Perhaps this guy is similar to Theo's power? Theo was very powerful. Not until I figured out his pattern though._

"Fuuka, scan the target!"

"I'm on it!"

"Surt, Ragnarok!"

Minako raised her hands to shield her eyes from the blinding light when the sound of mirrors broke summons Surt, the magician who casts a giant flame erupting from the ground making Minako choke on the sooty air. Coughing, she removed her hand and stared at her opponent. The Reaper looked unfazed by the assault, floating towards her slowly. Minako's mouth formed a small "tsk" before pressing her earpiece to speak to Fuuka.

"Fuuka, what have you got?"

"I can't scan anything from it! However, I do know that light and darkness skills are ineffective against it. On another note, he is slightly less powerful than that bellboy you fought before."

"I see. Thanks Fuuka."

_So he's slightly less powerful than Theo, but just how less is less?_

"Skadi, Niflheim!"

Although this time the Reaper shivered from the ice, no noticeable wounds or bruises were taken. Minako refuses to give up. Surely this thing has something he's weak at.

"Odin, Thunder Reign!"

A loud thunder sounded from somewhere as Odin rose from her shoulders. A huge bolt of deadly lightning struck the Reaper and Minako felt fairly certain that this time the Reaper would be affected. She looked up only to see the Reaper looking stunned as though he just got shocked by some static. Sighing, she summoned her last elemental skill on him.

"Norn, Panta Rhei!"

A gust of wind soon turned into a tornado trying its very best to wipe the Reaper off its feet. Looking on with hope, Minako's shoulders sagged to see the Reaper still in place as though some invisible force is holding it down. Gravity. Was it that strong? Having enough, the Reaper approached her and grabbed her collar, lifting her off her feet. No matter how much she struggled, the Reaper's grip was just too strong for her. Then he stared hard into her eyes as though scanning her. After sometime, the Reaper looked stunned as though realizing something shocking and he stepped backwards; distancing Minako in his hands away from him. Without even a blink of an eye, the Reaper suddenly tossed her at the wall like how a sick child would break its toy without a single thought. Hastily, Minako pulled herself to her feet, confused by the Reaper's actions. She decided to put the thought away and got her brain working for now.

_If elemental skills didn't work, then that just leaves physical and almighty skills. _"Thor, Primal force!"

The Reaper looked surprised, a small cut seen on his arm. At least this made a difference compared to the other attacks.

"Michael, Heaven's Blade!"

The Reaper only nimbly dodged aside with a smirk on its lips.

"Melchizedek, God's Hand!"

Minako gaped at the Reaper who grabbed the falling hand before spinning like a ballerina to gain momentum, swinging it away.

_So much for God's hand._

There's only one option left. The only skill she has not tried yet- the almighty skill.

However, the Reaper had other plans and dragged her up again. Letting out a laugh and smiling at her, he threw her against the wall and proceeded to punch the living daylights out of her. Opening her eyes, she sees an overexcited Reaper. But it seems that he preferred treating her like a ragdoll than a sandbag. He grabbed her and threw her in the direction of two shadows bickering, probably annoyed by them. Surprised, the shadows stopped squealing and ran away at the sight of the Reaper approaching to pick up his victim. Minako looked at the Reaper suspiciously when he took her naginata, wondering what he wanted to do with it. She got her answer soon enough. The Reaper wasn't satisfied. He wanted to see blood. He grabbed the naginata in his hands and slashed her abdomen, tearing the fabric, leaving a long, deep cut likely to leave a scar.

"Aargh!"

Minako lay limply on the ground wincing in pain as blood spluttered out of her mouth. The hard impact of being flung to the wall had rendered her incapable of moving while the slash to her abdomen earlier is now bleeding profusely. Ignoring the intense pain, she propped herself up and stared at the Reaper grinning from ear to ear at the sight of blood straight in the eye while she placed her evoker at her temple.

_It's now or never!_

Gritting her teeth, she yelled. "Helel! Morning Star!"

A noble angel with three pairs of wings on its back and a good looking figure rose from Minako's shoulders and casts a mass of bright light which hovers in the air for a while before falling to the ground together with its target, only to deal minimal damage to it. In fact the Reaper didn't even seem bothered by it. Minako stared at him in horror as he laughed maniacally.

_How is it that this thing just seems to resist everything! I've even used all my most powerful skills! To make things worse it also has all the skills that I have because I'm a wild card. He's practically like a persona user in the form of a shadow! Have I lost this battle since the very beginning?_

The Reaper stops laughing and approaches Minako with a serious expression. He uses a finger to lift her head by the chin and snickered at her. Pointing one of his revolvers at her, Minako looked back at him with determination in her eyes and a teasing smile as though urging him to pull the trigger. Intimidated by her action, he does as intended and the loud piercing sound of gunshot can be heard throughout the whole floor.

...

Akihiko stopped in his tracks, eyes widen in disbelief when he heard the gunshot. Or at least he didn't want to believe what he thinks has just happened.

Fear made his whole body tremble as he remembered the night his best friend was shot in front of him. _Shinji._ His fingers curled into a fist at his sides, body trembling violently. This time, with rage and not fear. "No, NO! I won't allow this to happen again!"

Akihiko ignored the sickening feeling in his stomach as he made his way to the Reaper. A loud piercing scream echoes through the corridors. Akihiko pulled out his evoker chanting ziodyne while quickening his pace to a full sprint. Upon reaching his destination, he sees an injured Minako gritting her teeth from withstanding the pain on the ground. With every movement, blood trickled out from her abdomen, leaving a trail of blood as she moved from where a pool of blood is seen. Although Tartarus often had pools of blood lying around, Akihiko was fairly certain that it is Minako's blood as he has yet to see a single pool of blood in the white frosty environment of Adamah. However, he did not bother pondering about it when he sees the Reaper slash her hand with her own naginata, forming another deep cut. Rage overtook his body and he immediately approached the Reaper to throw an uppercut to its chin, shifting its attention to him.

The Reaper decided there and then that Minako is no longer fun to play with and turns to face his new playmate, glee clearly written all over its face. Eyes fixed on Akihiko, he simultaneously grabs Minako, pulling her to her feet before tossing her against the wall like a ragdoll while casting a small bolt of lightning on Akihiko, as though testing him. Since he is resistant to lightning attacks, Akihiko took no damage, but instead absorbs it. "Minako! You coward, you have no right to do that to her!"

What he did not know was that his ability to withstand lightning gave away his weakness.

The Reaper raised a confident hand, rippled with muscles hidden by the coat it is wearing. With every circular movement of his hand, a small piece of ice is formed hovering in the air. As the ice combines rapidly to form a huge block of ice, the Reaper smirks at him as though saying "Game Over" before bringing it down on Akihiko in a single hand swipe.

_ ... _

Mitsuru quickens her pace the moment she hears Minako's cry of "Persona!". Finishing off some distracting shadows in the way, she hurries over, boots clacking noisily against the marble flooring of Adamah, only to see the Reaper shoving the barrel of one of his long revolvers directly in front of a severely bleeding Minako's face.

Mitsuru's trauma recurred by the sight of the firearm while images of her father's death replayed over and over in her mind while she stared at the two before her. As though someone had hit the slow-motion button, the scene played starting with the Reaper snickering, followed by Minako provoking him with a set of determined eyes and an "I-dare-you-to-do-it grin". The Reaper felt intimidated by the small action and pulled the trigger. Mitsuru screamed and ducked, holding her head with her eyes shut in an attempt to block out all thoughts of the current situation.

_Shinjiro. Father. They both died from gunshots._

Unknown to her, Minako swapped personas to Thor, thus reflecting the piercing bullets back at its source. The Reaper, feeling tricked burst into a fit of outrage and started hurling hordes of ice at Minako. However when ice cold water meets exposed flesh, the pain is intolerable. Minako screamed in agony. Mitsuru's eyelids flew open and she immediately cursed herself from being such a coward. There she was, selfishly trying to deny the situation while their strong leader withstood it all.

She tightened her grip on her rapier and lunged forward into the Reaper's broad back, slashing it several times while her anger turns into tremendous strength allowing occasional critical hits. Once the Reaper was down with dizziness, Mitsuru rushed to Minako's side. Shaking her several times, Minako showed no movement. In a state of panic, Mitsuru could only come up with the conclusion that she was dead. Trembling Mitsuru grabbed her wrists and checked for a pulse. Much to her relief, Minako had only gone unconscious. Turning out all her pockets, Mitsuru groaned in frustration when she realized that she didn't have any revival beads.

Looking at the Reaper who was beginning to recover, Mitsuru heard a certain silver haired friend approaching while chanting Ziodyne as though his life depended on it.

_Akihiko. It's up to you to protect her._

Mitsuru left in pursuit of any revival beads around before Akihiko arrived. Goodness knows how many minutes later, time was running out and she still didn't find any. Having no other choice, Mitsuru used a traesto gem and returned to the entrance to request for backup from someone or anyone who had healing skills or at least a revival bead with them. After quick consideration, Mitsuru sought the help of Ken, who in her opinion is a better healer and fighter than Yukari who couldn't even summon her persona without any difficulties. Both rushed to the battle scene at the furthest end of the floor. As they were approaching, a cluster of shadows ambushed them. Taking one of Ken's revival bead, she left the boy to fend for himself while she hurried to the battle.

Upon arrival, Mitsuru could see something bright. Squinting her eyes, bits of tiny pieces of ice are seen combining rapidly to form a block of ice, so huge that even it could cause fatal damage to her although she is resistant to ice. Wasting no time, Mitsuru dashed in front of Akihiko who was in a defensive stance just in time when the Reaper brought down the now giant sized block of ice towards her.

While the block of ice continued falling down towards her, she counted silently. Mitsuru raised her hand on the tenth count as though reaching out to touch an invisible object and a blaze of fire hits the block of ice in front of her.

_ ... _

From a mini speaker strapped around his neck, Soft Green's voice is heard along with static telling them that she senses death. Following Cheerful Alpha's scent, he proceeded to run back to her side because deep down, Cerberus growls telling Koromaru that danger is lurking. Koromaru didn't need to doubt Cerberus when an unfamiliar foul scent pricks his nose.

Koromaru ran as fast as his short legs could carry him. He turns around a corner and runs headfirst into Black Blob. Koromaru whined and backed away. Wanting to escape all means of battle Koromaru ran away from the two Black Blobs, tail in between his legs, ashamed for backing away from a battle.

_Just why are there so many Black Blobs?_

It's like all of them were ordered to distract him from getting to his destination or something. Granted he was rather far away from Cheerful Alpha but there was just way too many! And it didn't help the fact that he always bumped into them headfirst. As he was getting nearer and nearer to Cheerful Alpha, he bumped into something again. But this time it didn't feel like a Black Blob. Looking up he saw Cool Ice who seemed surprised by his presence. Cool Ice hastily bent down and told him about how Cheerful Alpha is in danger and that the enemy is very powerful. Strong Red was also about to be attacked and that Cool Ice needs his and Cerberus's help to save them both.

"Okay, here's the plan Koromaru. You wait behind a wall. If you were to appear, he will attack you as well. So it is vital that you stay behind a wall, out of his sight. Got that?"

Koromaru and Cerberus barked, tails wagging.

"You must keep an eye on me. When I raise my hand like this," Cool Ice demonstrates, "You must summon Cerberus and cast Agidyne on that block of ice many times. If you don't, Akihiko and I will be hurt. Also, casting it too early will result in the enemy assaulting you, thus failing our plan."

Koromaru barked in approval before following Cool Ice to the battle.

Once there, Koromaru stopped dead in his tracks. His tail once wagging drooped in between his legs.

_Red._

He sees red around Cheerful Alpha like when Master died. Fear engulfs him and his body shook and trembled. Koromaru whimpered. Backing away he bangs something again. This time it was Young Orange.

Young Orange seemed to sense something wrong with Koromaru. Young Orange petted him while whispering soothing words. Looking toward the huge block of ice, Koromaru went back in position and waited for the cue.

_No. Cheerful Alpha can't die like Master. I must protect Cheerful Alpha!_

When her hands were raised, Koromaru howled and Cerberus immediately rose from his shoulders casting Agidyne after Agidyne at the giant lump of ice. The ice then melts from the intense heat and shrinks. The remaining pieces of ice that hit Cool Ice later were nothing more than the size of an ordinary ice cube. Turning his gaze to Strong Red then to Big Black Wolf who seemed stunned at his sudden appearance, Koromaru howled and jumped up at Big Black Wolf in anger lashing out with all his might, knife in his mouth.

_ ... _

Akihiko waited, and waited. The expecting pain did not hit. Could this mean, he is dead? Or was he just unconscious? He opened his eyes to see Cerberus casting Agidyne at the giant block in an attempt to melt the ice while Mitsuru stands in front of Akihiko, protecting him from the remaining pieces of- ice cubes?

"Mitsuru!"

"Hurry! Attend to Arisato-san, take this revival bead! She is unconscious and is losing too much blood!"

Akihiko nodded. Wasting no time, he forces the revival bead down Minako's throat and checks her injuries. She seems to have injured her legs, making it hard for her to move. Repeated hurls at walls made her body bruised badly and her left hand seems to be broken. Her abdomen had a freshly cut gash where blood poured out non-stop. "Are you alright? Please, wake up! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. If only I had listened to my instincts to stay with you, you would not be suffering like this." Akihiko kneels down next to Minako and holds her hand tightly. Feeling cold liquid flowing to his hand, he looked up and saw another gash by her hand. "Minako! Hang in there!" Akihiko tore his school blazer into strips of cloth and bandaged her bleeding hand. Although bandaged, blood continued flowing. Desperate, Akihiko summoned his persona to cast a healing skill but to no avail.

...

The Reaper looked from the small white dog to his coat, now torn up.

He let out a ghastly wail of anger and depression at the sight of his favorite coat destroyed. Why oh why, did he have to wear his favorite coat this morning?

Despair hit him as he wondered how he is going to explain this to his fellow Reaper friends later. Even the shadows would probably laugh at him. Scowling, he realized all eyes are on him. The unmistakable pity in their eyes were rather unnerving. I mean, he was supposed to be scary, he's DEATH of all things! What did he do wrong? What did he do to deserve this? Hasn't he suffered enough?

Looking around, he realizes nobody gives a damn about his coat. They were all fussing over the girl they called "Leader".

After much consideration, he could only come up with the best way to handle the coat.

The Macho Act.

With tears in his eyes, he unwillingly tore the upper part of his favorite coat to reveal his chiseled well-toned ten pack abs, leaving the lower half to cover his essentials. After all, he doesn't have legs and instead, floats to move about. If they were to see what lies underneath, they might faint right away. And that just spoils the fun. Now, back to the present. THIS is something you don't see from the other Reapers. Heck, as he is in battle now, the rest of them are probably drinking booze and gambling. Really, he's the only Reaper doing his job now. Proudly, he flexed it before returning to the put-off battle.

_Its show time!_

...

Slowly, Minako opened her eyes and mumbled. "Akihiko-senpai?"

Her eyes gazed from Akihiko to Mitsuru who just got struck by a bolt of lightning then to Koromaru who had just lept off slashing the Reaper. It hurt her to see that she was unable to do anything in her current state while her friends tried to hold back the Reaper. She straightened herself up and wiped the blood off her mouth while cringing in pain as the gash on her abdomen opened bigger. Looking at her hand, she realized that Akihiko had helped bandage her injuries. Propping herself against the wall, she wondered why the Reaper had ceased attacking while she thanked Akihiko warmly. All of a sudden, Ken rushed in from hiding, cheeks flushed and proceeded to hug Minako the moment he sees her. Akihiko scowled and turned to the boy.

"Hey, hands off! She's just regained her consciousness. Can't you see she's badly hurt?"

"Oh! Sorry Minako-san. I was really worried when I heard you were in critical condition. Are you alright? Can you stand up?"

"Yeah I guess so-"

Minako fell down the moment she got up. If it weren't for Akihiko, she'd have landed hard on her bottom. Silently she cursed her jelly legs for failing her. She really has to work out more with Rio as soon as the wounds heal.

After she managed to stand without Akihiko's support, she grabbed her evoker and summoned Messiah to heal everyone. It was the least she could do for her teammates who got injured helping her. As expected, her wounds didn't close up, especially the one on her abdomen which hurt like crazy. It must be because it wasn't caused by magic. And by magic, it means persona inflicted. It's only normal that it works this way because everyone knows you can't treat acid with acid. You treat it with alkali. Physical injuries must be treated by physical means.

The Reaper suddenly started attacking everyone without any warning. Minako barely managed to jump aside to dodge a giant fist from above just in time. However, her legs were still jelly from the harsh treatment and she fell down. Having enough of the games the Reaper had, she began giving out orders like the leader she is expected to be.

...

For some reason, while they were attending to Minako who was bleeding severly, the Reaper who previously seemed rather sad about something has turned very angry.

Almost like a madman.

It's like he got possessed by a demon. Or, did someone infuriate him? He's practically trashing everyone who got within his reach. This meant the team was at a disadvantage. Everyone present has to be near the target to land a hit. In the background, he heard Minako barking out orders. Oh, there's his. However, his attention was gripped by the abs the Reaper had. Akihiko hands immediately flew to his abdomen, feeling his own abs to compare with the Reaper's.

_What kind of training does this guy does! Not even Shinji's abs can be compared to those. Wait a second, are those the legendary ten pack abs! Hmm, maybe it's something only a non-human can achieve. But whatever it is, I've GOT to talk to this guy later. That is, once he settles down and ceases showing any signs of aggression of course. _

Suddenly it became clear. The Reaper constantly targeted Koromaru who was the culprit of his ripped coat. And now he's trampling over Koromaru as though it's the most natural thing in the world. The sound of bones cracking beneath him seemed to delight him. Then he grabbed Koromaru and flung him at the wall as how he did Minako earlier.

Akihiko face palmed mentally. For someone with abs way well-toned than his, he's rather simple minded. Well, that explains his misused tremendous strength. And agility, and endurance, and hit rate, and-

"Face me you cowards! Why run when you can fight!"

_I-I-It talks!_

Everyone stared at the Reaper in surprise. The look on Minako's and Mitsuru's face when they finally noticed his abs were priceless. While Minako gawked at it in awe, Mitsuru stared at it as though she just saw an alien.

...

Pretty soon the whole gang is staring at his abs. Even the boy is staring.

_Just what IS their problem! When I first talked, they gasped at me. And then only after that they realize how gorgeous my abs are by gawking at it._

The Reaper rolled his eyes. "If I were you, I would rather focus on the enemy than his abs. Magarudyne!" The Reaper snickered as they were all caught off guard. The strong gust of wind had swept everyone off their feet into the air and made them land harshly on their bottoms. Now, it is only normal that they retaliate. The question is how?

"Cheater!"

"She's right. That was rather childish of you."

"I'll execute you!"

"Come at us like a real man!"

"Grrrrrr"

Okay. He was NOT expecting that. He'd think they would come at him with their fists or weapons or evokers or personas or personae (in Minako's case) or whatever. Not with childish words of threat. Their voice gradually becomes louder and muddled with all the insults. Unable to stand it anymore, he boomed, "Silence!"

Everyone instantly shut their mouths and somewhere behind, an owl hooted. Thank you, Daring Gigas for the sound effect. Furrowing his brow, he grabbed all of them in his huge hands and sneered. "Let us finish this. I'm sick of looking at you. You can try defeating me the whole day, be it with your weapons or by your personas. The end result will be the same. I will emerge victorious." Throwing them down, he began firing his revolvers at them in a killing spree.

...

"Akihiko, cast Masukunda then proceed to punch him after Koromaru casts Agidyne. Mitsuru, cast Bufudyne after Akihiko is done. Koromaru, cast Agidyne only after Mitsuru casts Bufudyne. Ken, you stay back and heal us when necessary. Don't heal us too often. You need to conserve your Spiritual Points."

Nodding, everyone replied in unison before bombarding the Reaper as planned. Her eyes were constantly on the Reaper's face, looking for any hints of success. Then she realized one thing. Unlike the other shadows in Tartarus, the Reaper actually had feelings. Shadows have no feelings. You can punch them or insult them all you want and they will still treat you the same. Thinking back, the odd sudden shock on his face when he first grabbed her, glee when it tortured her, unknown depression at one point, irritation at their insults, and now, his face that is brimming with confidence proves that he is clearly not a shadow.

_Is that why he is resistant to everything? What exactly does Death mean? He's nothing like the Reaper we know in fictional stories. He even has a human body even if it's just the upper half for crying out loud! And actually, doesn't his lower half remind you of some shadow? I doubt it's his coat since the coat only reaches slightly below his waistline. _Dodging a bolt of electricity, Minako stopped with a halt. _It's the lower half of the tiaras! Its upper half resembles a human being, its lower half the shadow and its head, wrapped with cloth like a-mummy?_

_[Such shocking realization.]_

_Thanatos?_

_[Yes it is I, Thanatos_, _the Greek personification of death and son of Nyx.] There was a slight dramatic pause before he continued. [Do you understand what this new-found information means?]_

_I'm just beginning to get to it. Why? Would you prefer to tell me the facts yourself?_

_[I'd gladly give you the facts. However that just makes things less interesting for me. I prefer that you figure it out for yourself. And while we are here, I take it that you still remembered Theo's request of obtaining a bloody button from the Reaper?]_

_Oh you're right! Thanks Thanatos._

_[Anytime.]_

By now, the battle had gotten rather heated. Minako looked up to see the Reaper charge forward while grabbing Caesar, ramming through the walls, leaving a trail of holes. She ran after him and made the Reaper release choking Caesar who, in turn is choking Akihiko. With a twist of luck, they stumbled upon the stairs along the way. The Reaper saw this as their chance to escape by advancing to the next floor. Thus, he sealed them in by destroying the stairs although they could still advance to the next floor by helping each other up to the portal by the top of the stairs with the cost of leaving a team member behind. Escaping through the teleporter is no longer an option as it was found destroyed along the way from the rampage earlier. Looking at the Reaper they realized that although they had dealt a great deal of damage, the Reaper is still nowhere close to exhaustion. With only one traesto gem left, Minako considered the choices of their survival with them trapped here.

Since it was most unlikely that she win this battle with just strength, perhaps she could negotiate a peace treaty with him? Minako furrowed her brow and thought hard about the Reaper and its relation to her discoveries as she blocked an oncoming attack with her naginata. Akihiko casts Marakunda as ordered and Minako leapt up doing a backflip before bringing her naginata down onto the Reaper's chest, leaving a long, deep gash like how he did to her. Then it hit her. She realized what the Reaper is.

The Reaper is the result of the manifestation of a dead man's soul which got eaten by a shadow! Judging by the way the Reaper is able to cast many skills without summoning a persona, the dead man was most likely a powerful persona user whose abilities have been amplified upon his death, just like Minako with the exception that Minako's abilities have been amplified upon the sealing of death within her.

_[Bingo.]_

_Why thank you, Thanatos. At least I have an idea of what he is._

A voice brought her back to reality. "… Death awaits you for I am Death." Wait. Did he say anything before that? The Reaper chuckled at his own joke as he brought his hands to the sky and summoned a bright light far too familiar for her. When Minako fought Theo, she always watched out for that dreaded light that would instantly kill her. It was only because they were fighting in the Velvet Room-the place that "exists between dream and reality, mind and matter"- that she is still alive to this day. Shuffling personas in her head, Minako was relieved to find Ananta and Vishnu still within the sea of her consciousness. An evoker to her head, she pulled the trigger and yelled. "Infinity!"

The sound of mirrors shattering echoed but nothing happened. Suspecting that her Spiritual Points are low, she consumed a soma she found earlier and pulled the trigger again. "Infinity!" Much to her relief, Ananta and Vishnu rose from her shoulders to cast a rainbow shield over all her teammates.

"Megidolaon!" The bright light falls and engulfs all of them.

After the assault, most of her teammates were still stunned, rubbing their eyes from the light, else unharmed thanks to the shield. The Reaper took the chance to attack them while they couldn't see him. Since Minako is the mastermind, he approaches her and shoves her naginata with tremendous force into her stomach, where the gash is. It reopened up and blood stained the fabric over it. Minako doubled over, cringing in pain. Regaining her sight, she looked over to the Reaper who floats over and picks up Ken and Koromaru. "No, Ken, Koro!" Ignoring the stinging pain, Minako ran over and snatched them away from the Reaper. Hugging them tightly, she took in the pain from the shower of ice on her.

The situation was constantly getting worse. She is slowly beginning to lose consciousness from losing too much blood and Akihiko and Mitsuru were in poor condition, not to mention that the Reaper is about to attack her now. Just thinking about it, he could've easily finished them off from the very beginning. _I guess he just wants to have fun. It's my fault that everyone is like this. _Reaching for her evoker to cast a healing spell, she placed it at her temple only to have it shot away by the Reaper with precision. She glared at the Reaper, sparks flying between the both of them. She has to come up with a better plan, and fast.

...

By now, Minako was the only one who suffered the most casualties from attacking and defending them from the Reaper's assaults. He saw her bite her lower lip as she turned to him, a hand over her wound.

"No, this won't do. Senpai, listen to me carefully. I will divert his attention. Take Mitsuru-senpai , Ken-kun and Koro-chan to the entrance at once. I will handle this."

Akihiko stared in disbelief at his girlfriend when she placed a traesto gem in his hands.

"No, are you crazy! I will fight with you. In your current state, you can never-"

"Idiot! This isn't the time to make a big fuss!" Flipping open her phone designed to work even during the Dark Hour, she glanced at the time and turned her back on him. "Just go, the Dark Hour is almost over. I can last for another hour if I have to. I know what to do."

"Come with us. We'll wait for you."

"That is impossible. Just go. I have unfinished business with him anyway."

"But-"

"Akihiko Sanada. Don't make me say it."

"Say it? Go on."

"Oh yeah? Then I'll tell you. You, no, all of you are nothing but a nuisance to me now."

Akihiko stiffened. Surely she didn't mean it? His mouth opened and closed, not finding the right words to say.

Then he saw it. The glint in her eye proves that she didn't mean it. As much as she doesn't want to, she wants them to leave so that they wouldn't have to go through her pain. Slowly, Akihiko stood up defeated. He beckoned for Mitsuru to follow him and grabbed Ken who began straining against his grip with a growling Koromaru in his hands before taking one last glance at Minako who gave him a smile and an encouraging nod.

Using the traesto gem Minako gave him, he teleported them back to the entrance of Tartarus where they were immediately attended to. Holding back an enraged Junpei who wanted to fight the Reaper, Akihiko could only let out a sigh as he stared at the stairs leading to a huge broken clock.

_I really don't know if what I just did is the right thing._

* * *

><p><strong>As stated above, I'll post the legend here. This legend applies to the rest of the chapters as well.<strong>

**THOSE WHO WANT TO REMAIN CONFUSED OR HAS FIGURED THIS OUT MAY SKIP THIS! **

**Font legends**

**Normal words - descriptions/narrations/whatever you call it**

_**Italic words**_** – Character's inner thoughts**

**[Bracketed normal words] – Summoned persona's voiced conversation/thoughts**

_**[Bracketed italic words] – **_**Persona's inner thoughts to Minako**

**Koromaru terms**

**I guess it's really easy to figure out who's who but I should be more considerate of people who don't play Persona 3. Someone also pm-ed me asking me to explain the origin of their names so, okay here you go.**

**Soft Green – Fuuka (I think Fuuka's a little too soft sometimes and her hair colour is just really weird. I thought Koromaru would think that way too.)**

**Cheerful Alpha – Minako (Everyone knows that in comparison to Persona 3's main protagonist, Minako's waay more cheerful than Minato. And dogs don't call their leaders leader. They think of them as the alpha dog.)**

**Black Blob – Shadows (Their incognito state is practically a gooey blob of liquid that moves around. =.=)**

**Cool Ice – Mitsuru (Mitsuru is always trying to be the 'cool' one, so cool that sometimes I hate it. Her execution is freezing people in blocks of ice. Funny how she's always going on and on about righteousness but it seems she abuses her power more than any SEES members I know.)**

**Strong Red – Akihiko (Aki is strong! I think? And his red vest's what partially makes him Akihiko. You don't see people wearing red vests at school.)**

**Master – the dead monk, aka Koromaru's owner/master. (Simple and direct.)**

**Young Orange – Ken (He's the youngest out of the rest no matter how hard he acts 'mature'. Orange hoodie under black school blazer actually looks good.)**

**Big Black Wolf – Reaper (Hey! Reaper's huge, like four times of Minako's size, so that makes it seem what, sixteen times bigger than Koromaru? Reaper wears black coat. Villians in dog's eyes are bigger predators such as wolves?)**

**I tried to think as much as I could in Koromaru's perspective so I hope that turned out well. It didn't seem logical to me that a dog can actually remember human names. I thought they recognize you by scent?**

**Chapter two is done but I've just found out a major flaw in the storyline during one of my QC runs. It'll be out in one or two days time, I promise.**

**It would mean a lot if you were to leave a review. I heard reviews are an author's fuel. Thanks!**


	2. Chapter 2

Whaaaa its done! :D Took me a while but its here now! I think this chapter has pretty much more drama and yes. I suck at battle scenes. Take it or leave it. I was pretty tired and feelin lazy when I wrote this chapter anyway...

Disclaimer: I dont own Persona 3 or any of its characters. ATLUS does.

* * *

><p>Minako whistled, attracting the Reaper's attention. From the corner of her eye, she could see her teammates disappear after Akihiko managed to drag Ken with Koromaru in his hands away with Mitsuru. Flashing him a smile and an encouraging nod, they were gone. Retaining her battle stance, she faced the Reaper. "They are gone. I specifically asked for them to leave us alone. For now, can I just have a chat with you? We can return to our battle later if that's what you want."<p>

Looking at her, the Reaper laughed. "Sure. You pose no threat to me anyway. Are you sure you don't want to get your injuries healed first? I have a feeling this is going to take a long time."

"Thank you for your concern but I can handle it. Once I'm used to the pain, its nothing. Have a seat?"

"No. I can't." The Reaper indicates by pointing at his non-existent legs. Minako shrugs and proceeds to sit at the steps. Once she has settled down, the Reaper looked at her expectantly.

"So, what is it that you wanted to talk about?"

"Nothing much. But I was just wondering, can I have your coat button?"

The Reaper looked confused before asking, "Excuse me?"

"I said, can I have your coat button?"

"Oh, sure. Here you go." Plucking out a button from his torn coat, he handed it to her.

"Thanks." Minako chuckled. "Feels like what you'd ask a senior to do on graduation day huh?"

"You're right." There was a nostalgic look in his eye. "You must be rather smart to figure out that I'm not shadow, or rather has in fact lived a life. Though, I can't say it was a risky move to stay back alone with me here. You know very well that whenever I want I can kill you instantly right?"

"Of course. But hey, we're both Death. We're fearless. Death will come one day anyway. Be it by your hands or by time. Someone once told me this. Time never waits. It delivers us all equally to the same end."

Nodding, the Reaper responded. "That's true."

"Hey, I have a question. What sort of training did you go through to get those muscles? Must've been hardcore."

"Nahh. All I did was roam Tartarus. Maybe every now and then I would wrestle or spar with the other shadows. That's why you don't see them coming near me. They fear me. You may not know it but I'm actually the only remaining Reaper truly carrying out his duty. Every Reaper has their own story but most of them just want to enjoy themselves." He paused and heaved a deep sigh. "Don't ask why I'm not joining them. I guess I'm just like that. Like that red vested friend you have there. I used to be like him, constantly craving for more power, to become stronger, so I could protect what's important to me. And now I got it." He laughed bitterly. "But what is power when you're alone? I have no one here whom I want to protect. I'd rather be reborn, weak but surrounded by people whom I can hold dear again." He turned to her, hand on her shoulder. "Relay this to your friend. I could see it in his eyes, the longing for strength." He removed his hands and continued. "You wouldn't want him to end up like me, stuck in this tower for as long as I can remember."

"Why don't you just be reborn then?"

Groaning, the Reaper explained. "Nothing in life comes easy. Be it in your current life or the afterlife. In order to be reborn, I must either be killed by a human or take a hundred human lives. The recent victims of Apathy Syndrome you've been seeing are my work. Once I take their souls, they will forfeit the will to live and eventually die. Although cruel, this is the only way I take their lives since I am currently sealed in this tower, in this time unknown to the world." Cradling his face in his hands, he groaned. "Forever, I am bound to the lives of humans. Can you see now, why I didn't put up much of a fight every time you attacked me? In the end, power betrays me. I am undefeatable no matter how much I want to be dead."

The Reaper looked so sad that Minako can't help pitying him. "Can't you kill yourself? Or, maybe I can help you die by stabbing your heart? That is, if you have one."

"I appreciate your offer but it is useless. If I take my own life, I will become immortal like most Reapers here. That means, forever I cannot be reborn. I will remain a Reaper for the rest of my life. The same concept applies if I were to let a human take my life without putting up a fight but this time the human assisting me will also turn to a Reaper upon their death. And when I mean put up a fight, I really mean it." Giving a disheartening laugh, he shuddered at the thought and continued, "There are actually eyes, like supervisors watching over you. Really, sometimes I just think they want to see a little action. Great boredom remedy actually. Even if this damned tower were to vanish, I heard that we, Reapers would all be moved someplace else."

Deep down, curiosity prodded at Minako wondering who 'they' were but she decided its best she didn't ask. "Oh, you have it harsh."

Sighing, the Reaper scowled. "I sure do. You know, recently this piece of memory came back to me. When I was alive, I failed to protect my sister. She was very young, about eight years younger than me, but I had to leave her in the hands of an orphanage. Back then, I was too poor to give her a good life. My parents died, leaving me to take care of her when she was just seven years old. After I became successful, I managed to track her down but I died. I believe that's what humans call fate?"

"I'm sorry. But hey, you used to be a persona user. I think by now you should understand fate better than I do."

"For a noisy brat like you, I'm impressed you have brains to figure out that I was a persona user too. But you did leave out one crucial detail. I was a wild card, just like you. It's special isn't it, that you get to change personas as you wish."

"Really? You were a wild card?" Minako felt excited. "Are there any secrets I should know? Any additional special powers? There's this long nosed guy who just refuses to tell me anything!" pouting, Minako glanced at her companion.

Laughing he turned to her. "I think that's Igor you're referring to. Ah, he was a pain in the ass. He refused to tell me anything too. But by the end of my journey, I could see why he hid them. That's why I won't be telling you anything as well. Its best you find out on your own. However, there are things I can tell you. Make full use of your power. Don't leave any regrets before your death. Go forth your life without falter, with your heart as your guide. And never ever abuse the power given to you. The Gods will forgive you if you do abuse them a few times only with a valid reason." Snickering he told her, "If you fail to do what I just told you, then I will be seeing you sometime-if I am still here then. Us wild cards are the only people who have to go through this because of that contract we signed."

"So-"

"And by the way, the Dark Hour is already over. We're in the next day's Dark Hour."

"WHAT!" Minako starting moving vigorously fumbling for her phone and her gash on her hand opened up again. Cringing in pain, Minako flipped her phone open and glanced at the time. "O-Oh, y-y-you're r-right. Youch…"

"Hush, be quiet. You're noisy. Nobody can access this floor at the moment now that the stairs and the teleporter are ruined. We have all the time we have."

Minako spoke, teeth gritting. "Yeah, thanks to you. Now how am I supposed to get this stupid gash treated!"

"That's nothing. When I was alive, my left arm was clawed and left dangling by a piece of skin and some questionable flesh."

"Questionable flesh?"

"Forget I said that."

"Oh okay." Silence rifts through them. Minako decides to break it. "Actually, I still have lots of questions but didn't you say those eyes are watching you? Shouldn't we get back to battle? I don't want you stuck in this life forever just because of my curiosity." As an afterthought she added, "It's never-ending."

"Don't worry about them. They are listening as we speak."

"Oh oka- WHAT! That's an invasion of our privacy."

Scowling the Reaper scoffed, "Does that matter? I'm not even asking you to kill me while I feign ignorance. Besides, I'm saying things that are legal to be said out loud."

"Alright, alright. Sheesh. There's no need for you to get all touchy."

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say."

"Oh now you're just starting to sound like my friend."

"Oh you mean the one who turned vegetable?" The Reaper pulled a silly grin and a sarcastic voice. "Aw, do you mish him? You know you want him don'tcha!" Laughing at her gaping, he playfully knocked her head. "When it comes to this tower, I know everything. You can run but you can't hide. I've seen you both all lovey dovey in here when the others aren't looking you idiot. So now he's in coma and you go for his best friend, how sly. I like that."

A blush crept over Minako's face, making it flushed and red. "W-What, don't say it like that. I love Shinji. I really do. It's just, I think he wouldn't want to see me moping over him. A-And I didn't specifically go for his best friend, Aki was just naturally nice to me." Pulling a sheepish grin, she mumbled, "So I guess I kinda fell for them both?"

"Aki, huh? I see you've been pretty close." The Reaper snickered before frowning at her. "I think you do realize that that little boy has a crush on you?"

Minako sighed. "Yes I do. It's most unfortunate. I'm not sure what is it that made him attracted to me but for now, I'm suspecting that it's because I don't treat him like a kid." The Reaper raised an eyebrow. "Just the previous- no, the previous previous night I've intentionally crushed his hopes for me by telling him that Aki is my boyfriend when he asked if I had one." Seeing her companion shake his head at her, she protested. "H-Hey! Doing anything to him is simply a crime alright! He's six years younger than me! I only think of him as a brother. Nothing more."

"That aside, weren't you also with Igor's assistant as well as Death who dwelled in you?

Blushing furiously, Minako stood up and stared at the Reaper resulting in reopening her other gash. Doubling over she yelled, "W-Wha, how did you know!"

Chuckling, he just prodded her wound making it bleed all the more. "Let's just say I have 'eyes' too. You're really quite the playgirl. To be honest, I admire that. You realize that that's a risky thing to do considering your social links with them."

"Yeah but they are the ones who come at me! Besides, It's only because of the social link that I have to go along with it!" Pouting, she added, "Besides, Shinji's wasn't part of the social link either! Your argument is invalid. A-Anyway, why are we talking about this! Let's change the topic."

"If that's what you want. Shoot your next question."

"Hmm, oh yeah! Back when I just started exploring Tartarus, was that you who chased us? And the other times where you were there too?"

"Yeah that's me. I told you, I'm the only Reaper still on his job now. That first encounter you had was simply a welcoming act for you. I didn't really fight you because you were still too weak back then. The other times you encountered me were just to check up on your progress."

"I see. Is that why you would stop attacking us by the stair area?"

"No. That's a completely different case altogether."

By now, Minako was getting rather excited. Bouncing in her seat, she didn't realize more blood oozing out of her gashes. "Why? Tell me why!"

The Reaper was rather surprised she didn't react to the blood oozing out continuously. Rather, why wasn't he surprised that this girl is still not unconscious from the lack of blood? Scowling he stared down at her and scoffed, "One, it's a waste of time and energy to continue chasing you. You will probably hop into that portal to escape me, right? Two, whenever I see you advancing up the stairs, it saddens me to think that you can advance while I cannot. Hence, I only stare at you while I think about my past life."

Minako's mouth shaped a small 'o' and petted his arm. "Hey, cheer up! Let's not talk about depressing topics anymore."

"But you're the one who initiated this." Pulling back his arm, he eyed her suspiciously. "You're not flirting with me are you? This is a forbidden love! It'll never work out."

"Who do you think I am! Of course I won't! I'm so going to kill you later."

"Nice to see that enthusiasm. I'll accept your challenge." Suddenly the Reaper threw his head back and laughed, "By the way, how do you find that persona fusion Armageddon? I really, really loved it. I would kill myself to do that again, if that's possible."

"Arma-what?"

"Armageddon. Don't you know?"

"No. I have no idea what you're saying, let alone how to say whatever that is."

"Wow, look at her. This girl really knows how to act. Hey, you should go be an actor."

Glaring at him, she put on a sarcastic tone and said, "One, as much as I want to, with all these scars from Tartarus, how can I make it to that industry? I'll never survive. Two, its actress, not actor. I'm female."

Rolling his eye, he concentrated and stared at her intensely, scanning her thoughts. _What's that arma-something? I can't believe I missed out an important power! Damn that Igor. _Sighing, he turned to her. She's speaking the truth after all. Shaking his head he repeated, "Ar-ma-ge-ddon. It's the most powerful ability of persona fusions. The wild card ability has truly been wasted on you. Just how did you defeat Igor's assistant without it?"

"Huh? How did you know that I fought Igor's assistant? I just took the long way. Slowly finished him off. Patience is virtue you know." Laughing at her own joke, she suddenly realized her bleeding wound and scowled. "Really, he was just so hard to defeat! And at least he didn't injure me _that_ bad. He was a gentleman to the very end."

The Reaper felt uncomfortable from the glare Minako was giving him. He prodded her wound, breaking her glare off him, bending down in pain. "That's cause he was only going easy on you. Fight his older sister and you'll know what pain really is. As for how I know you've fought his assistant, let's just say that that request is made by Igor. Every guest receives that quest. However, it's up to the guest to take it. I swear that sadist just wants to see his 'powerful' guest get thrashed around."

"Haha! That sounds just like him! So how do you do that Armageddon thing?"

"Do you have Satan? I know you have Helel since you used it on me just now."

"Satan? Wait let me check." Flipping through personas in her head, she cheerfully returned to him. "Yeah I do."

"All you have to do is concentrate. And when I mean concentrate, do it properly. Satan, Helel and Lucifer are not exactly on good terms with each other. When summoned with great concentration, the persona fusion will succeed. However, just concentration alone is not enough. Had you hold any doubts on their power, there are two possibilities. The persona fusion either fails, killing you in the process or if you're luckier, nothing happens but your Spiritual Points will be drained by your two personas."

"Oh, then doesn't that make summoning them rather risky? Is it really that powerful to the extent where I'm risking my own life from just merely summoning them?"

"Yes. When you decide to try it out for yourself, then you shall see. I can only estimate that it is ten times stronger than your strongest skill. I recommend that you use it only when necessary such as against powerful opponents or whenever your life is in danger. After using it, not only do you feel demotivated from the excessive use of Spiritual Points, you will also feel very tired. I also regret to inform you that had you healed any wounds within 12 hours, either by Diarahan or by physical means, the heal will automatically be ineffective. Healed wounds will reopen while existing unhealed ones will remain as it is."

"Well, that sucks."

"It's a fair price to pay considering the amount of damage done to the opponent. Remember what I told you? Nothing in life comes easy."

"I know that. They say when life gives you lemons, you make them into lemonade. I suppose that applies here." After a long pause, Minako laughed and pointed at him. "Speaking of lemons, your eye resembles one! Say, where's your other eye?"

"My other eye has been pushed to the back of my skull. I harnessed my other eye through the power of Death and now it is my most valuable asset. It not only gives you the ability to scan other beings such as shadows or persona users and their personas, you are now able to walk around with your eyes closed without banging something, and you can even stop time if you wanted to. In other words, you're unstoppable. If you concentrate and look at someone hard enough, you can actually see their past, their lives, their thoughts and so on. That's how you see me appear behind you all of a sudden by stopping the flow of time temporarily."

"AMAZING! I want those abilities! Just imagine, I would probably be dubbed as the psychic! So that 'eye' you mentioned is this eye? And if I can actually control time, that's just cool! I envy you."

"Don't be. Sometimes, this power really kills me. However, if you truly want it, you can have it."

"Really, how? Are you just gonna pluck it out of your head and give it to me? Do I have to plant it at the back of my skull too? Or do I just eat it? But that's just disgusting-"

"Quiet! You're really noisy. Of course I'm not going to just pluck it out. Do you think it's a fruit on a tree? You'll have to kill me to get it. Once I'm dead, you dig it out, and NEVER EVER eat it. I repeat, NEVER EAT IT. I don't reckon it tastes good anyway."

"Huh? Then how do I get the powers? I doubt any doctor would want to operate my head to put an eye in there. Do I really have to dig it out? That's disgusting!" Minako whined.

"You're truly foolish. Do you have that bookmark Igor's assistant gave you?"

"Yeah why?"

"You can use that to slap the back of my skull until you retrieve the eye. After that, you're supposed to use it to slap that eye somewhere into your body. But if you think that's too disgusting and you think it'll be destroyed before it even manages to seep into your body, then you can slap it into a gem, like the ones on a necklace or a ring. However, I don't advice you to should slap it into something. Once the gem breaks, the power vanishes completely although you may pass that power down to any persona user who wears it. On the other hand, if you slap it into your body, you will retain that power forever unless it is taken out or is destroyed. Even when you're reborn, the power is still yours under the price that your memory from your previous life will be retained as well as your wild card ability. For me, it'll be nothing but a curse. I would want to forget about my current life if I were to be reborn. Thus, I hope that if you manage to kill me later, please take it out. If you don't want your next life to be like that, just slap it into a gem or crush it."

"Oh that's okay, I'll take it. I've got good memories with me and I don't mind retaining my ability. I think I'll be lonely without my personas anyway. I guess I'll just slap it into my head too then. Is that safe enough?"

Scowling, he knocked her head. "Just think about it. Nowhere is safe. Your head is the main target if someone were to knock you unconscious. Hands and legs are out of the question. The chest in which your heart lays is the primary target when people try to kill you. You could hide it at your abdominal area but that's where people who just want to threaten you hit. Unless you're confident you have a thick skull like mine then you may go ahead and do so."

"From the way you're speaking, I'm guessing it's very fragile?"

"Correct. Now, we have some time left before the Dark Hour ends. Let us finish where we left off."

Unconsciously, a tear slipped from the corner of her eyes. "But I just thought of you as my new friend. As much as I don't want to kill you it seems I have to, am I right?"

"Correct, for if you don't, I will kill you myself. This is not what I want either. All I want is to be reborn. I never wished to take anybody's life. I hope you remember what I've just said. You can think of it as my last words. Now, let's stop the idle chat and get to it."

"If that's what you wish. However, I have one last question."

"What is it. Spit it. I don't want to waste anymore of your and my time."

"Can I at least know your name? I feel as though I've known you for a long time."

A wave of sadness swept over the Reaper. "It is best you do not know."

"I-I see."

Pretty soon, an intense battle between the two erupted and the sound of summons can be heard ricocheting throughout Tartarus. The first move was initiated by the Reaper as he yelled, "Ziodyne!"

"Thor, Primal Force!"

"God's hand!"

"Michael, Heaven's Blade!"

"Garudyne!"

The battle lasted on and on until the next Dark Hour. By then, Minako was rather tired. She even got another two deep slashes on her right arm and one by her thigh. Why High Counter doesn't work against his physical attacks remains unanswered. She then lifted her evoker which was immediately snatched and thrown away by the Reaper.

He snickered and asked her, "So how are you going to summon your personas now? A persona user is useless without them."

"I'll just keep trying!" She had anticipated these kinds of situation to happen. Hence, she had often practiced summoning a persona without the help of an evoker. Concentrating, she closed her eyes and placed a hand over her heart, summoning Odin. "Thunder Reign!" The Storm God rose and gave a roar before casting a huge bolt of lightning on the Reaper.

The Reaper was shocked. How, could she summon it just like that? If he remembers correctly, one can only summon their personas without the help of any instruments either through their strong will or once they have achieved resolution in life. Scanning her again, he finds no hints of resolution, only sheer willpower and determination. Now, he only needs to prod her a little more to unleash her ultimate power. "What's the matter, did that take so much effort that you felt drained from the small action? Let me see if your power can be comparable to mine!" That was enough for Minako to get the hint.

"Before I end this, are you going to answer my previous question?"

"Like I said, perhaps its best you don't know."

"If that's the case, then I won't hold back!" Spreading her arms, the sound of mirrors shattering echoes while Satan and Helel rose from her shoulders. _I must be confident in them. Yes. They can do it. I don't care about the consequences. I will help him by finishing him! _Her vision became a blur and she felt herself losing consciousness due to the lack of blood. A felt a sharp pain in her head and staggered holding it. _No, not now! Come on!_ She slapped her face, trying to keep herself from blacking out.

The Reaper looked at Minako. So far so good, she doesn't seem to be wavering in her actions. Suddenly she slapped herself as she took a step back holding her head. The worry on the Reaper's face soon vanished when she stood up straight, confident as ever. Of course he's confident she can do it, she holds the same power as him. He glanced at Satan and Helel bicker as usual, a wave of nostalgia sweeping him. For some reason they seem to be more hostile to each other.

[Helel, oh Helel. Oh wait. Should I call you by the name you despise, hmm? Lucifer? How pathetic is it that you fail to protect this human you call "Angel"? Look at her, full of injuries!]

[Satan. You have no right to correct my actions. What you've done eras ago was much worse! You, my dear friend are the central embodiment of all evil. I am the morning star. I shall protect this "Angel" with every fiber of my being. How and why I do so is none of your business.]

[Yes it does! If you fail to protect this human being, we cannot continue pursuing our true goal!]

[It was never my goal to begin with. You were the one who wanted your "throne higher than the clouds over the earth and resemble 'My power' on high". You were the one who brought death to the world. If it weren't for you and your foolish actions, we would still be living like gods! Not protecting some worthless human that doubts our abilities!]

[Worthless human, huh? I see that you are finally giving in to your inner feelings. Come. Let us end this for once and for all. You cannot stop me for I am thou. And thou art I.]

[Satan, no! If you do this, the girl will-]

[Be quiet! It's time you face your true self. ARMAGEDDON!]

The ground shook, dust flying in all directions. A tear hits the ground and a huge explosion erupted, thick smoke shrouding the area once it was over.

...

He collapsed on the ground. _Ah, so this is how pain feels like. It has been so long._

Minako knelt down beside the Reaper. Amidst the thick smoke, he looked at her beside him. Smiling softly he whispered, tears falling, voice barely audible, "Although late, I think you deserve to know this. To answer your last question, my name is Minato Arisato. You may not remember me because I erased your memories ten years ago so that you wouldn't feel the loss. I'm sorry I abandoned you last time. Looking into your past, I'm glad you were able to live the life I wanted you to." He looked at her for the last time and reached for her hand and breathed softly, "May we meet again as siblings in the next life. Goodbye, my dear sister. I love you, more than you'll ever know." With that, his hands fell limply in hers, eye losing its luminous glow to reveal a human eye, his body now no longer that of a Reaper's, instead it is replaced by a young man's while his life slowly faded away, a smile on his lips.

Although soft, she managed to catch his final words. Her body felt numb as tears rolled down her cheeks. Slowly, she removed the bandage around his head, fingers trembling. Upon the removal of the bandages, Minako clamped her hand to her mouth, tears falling uncontrollably while lost memories of her brother returned, flooding her mind. Hugging her brother she wailed in grief while calling out to him in between sobs.

Eventually, she calmed down and took out the bookmark Theo gave her. Weakly, she hit it against the back of his head, as though afraid that he would break any moment. A spherical object soon appeared on the surface and she retrieved it. Sobbing, she slowly slapped it into the back of her head. _This is brother's last gift to me. Thank you brother, I will heed your last words, your final advice. _Looking at her newly cut soon-to-be-scars, she turned back to him._ Thank you for the scars. Now, I have proof that we had spent time together during your final moments. Please be reborn and enjoy your new life. You don't have to worry about me anymore. I can take care of myself. You truly thought me a lot about life in those few moments. I will never forget you again. _

She watched his body disappear into thin air as she stood up. Looking at where her brother's body used to be,an old piece of photograph lay in its place. Picking up the photograph, she let her tears fall freely upon seeing both her and her brother's young faces smiling up at her, as though telling her to cheer up. Seeing how worn the photograph is, her brother must've treasured and looked at the picture often. She wiped her tears off and looked up, resolution achieved. _Starting now, I'll live for you too._

* * *

><p>I'm such a weak willed person. I cried writing the ending part of this chapter. ;(<p>

I blame it on the music. At the ... listen to this song. It surprisingly fits with the timing and all. =.= Must be more than a coincidence.

http:/www(dot)youtube(dot)com/watch?v=WFfSUBpLPdk or just type in I'll Face Myself from Persona 4


	3. Chapter 3

Hey there! I'm back with chapter 3!

And for an added fact, this is my longest chapter up to date! :D I apologize if it hurts your eyes because it's too lengthy (like one of my friends once told me) and ooh boy. I just noticed this chapter is nearly twice the length of chapter 2. O.O

Anyway, I'm bear-y sorry I took so long. I was kinda busy with work… and photoshop ... and 9gag-ing... =.= I'm sorry but my attention span is that short. *makes troll face* Problem? :D

Yeaaahhhh... You can check out my deviant art account to see my 'artwork'. The link's on my profile page. I should think the artwork is bear-able... I hope?

I also see that I've gotten some reviews. Thank you so much for your support! m(^_^)m The more reviews I get, the more pumped i seem to write these stories! XD

On to the chapter! I would say this chapter seems rather cheesy even to me. :/ Probably coz I was watching Persona 4 Animation… the part where they faced Kanji's shadow. (Oh that cracked me up xD) and... played Tekken. Thats how i managed to write the battle scene with a whole new style. Wowza!

Disclaimer: I don't own Persona 3 or any of their characters. ATLUS does.

* * *

><p>Minako used the power of the eye to teleport herself back to the entrance of Tartarus, where she was greeted by the anxious hands of her waiting friends who immediately started treating her wounds. Holding on to the only piece of photograph she had of her brother, she smiled at the memory and fell unconscious.<p>

In her dream she saw a man's shadow, too dark to see who it was. Could it be Shinjiro-senpai? Or is it… him? The man turned to her and smiled. "_Minako. It's nice to see you again." _Stepping out from the shadows, a certain blue haired man revealed himself. He walked over to Minako and placed a hand on her tear-stained face, his own etched with pain. "_Don't cry. It hurts me to see you crying. I'm here to tell you that I'll be going to my new family soon." _He smiled. _"Don't worry, no matter what, you'll always be my only family. I'll wait for you, even if it takes forever." _He turned and walked away from her._ "I'm sorry, my time is up. I have to go." _Stepping into the shadows, he turned back and waved._ "I'll always be watching over you." _With that he vanished.

She woke up in a bed too hard for her liking, but yet so familiar. Yes, she remembered everything. Ten years ago, she woke up in a hospital, like now, with her brother in the bed next to her. A nurse walked in and patiently explained to her that her parents were dead. Her brother had protected her and thus, saved her from any pain while he took all of it. Looking at white everyday made her sick of it. On the day of their discharge, a relative came and paid their hospital bills. Signing the documents, she could hear him muttering curses under his breath. Although young, she knew what they meant. Apparently her brother heard him too. Once outside the hospital, her brother confronted him only to hear the words that crushed their hearts. "None of us want to take you in. We all believe you're both nothing but a walking bad luck charm. Look what happened to your parents! It's all your fault they died." She cried. Her brother punched him and they started fighting.

Her brother had gone through so much trouble just to give her a good life. She pulled out the tube attached to her hand and got out of her bed. No matter how many times she tried standing, she always fell back down. The bandage around her thigh began to soak in blood. At that very moment, a nurse walked in and gasped as though she just saw an alien.

Minako has never felt so helpless in her entire life.

The next day was spent cooped up in the hospital. Even after ten years, hospital food still tastes horrible. Akihiko walked in and told her that she had been unconscious for five days now. He then handed her a photograph that they found in her possession and told her that she would be discharged later in the evening. His thoughts not only showed that he was worried about her but he was rather suspicious and curious about the boy in the photograph. A cheery laugh escaped her lips and she thanked him. Seeing that he didn't seem convinced, she reached out and held his hand, assuring him that she is okay. _That she is alive._

Once Akihiko had left the hospital, Minako climbed out of bed and walked out of her room with the help of some crutches. She approached an elderly nurse and asked if the hospital still kept the records of diseased patients around five years ago. Much to her relief, the nurse informed her that they had only cleared the records of diseased patients from ten years ago. Curious about her brother's cause of death at a young age, Minako asked for Minato's medical records and once again fate toyed with her. The nurse laughed and said there was no need to dig out his records for she was the nurse who attended to Minato all the time. She explained to Minako that he had died from a sudden heart attack. Seeing that Minako didn't believe her, the nurse told her, "Dear, that young lad was such a nice man. He would help me carry things or make a simple cup of coffee for me. There is no way I can forget him." Minako nodded and mouthed an 'o'. So her brother was a friendly person. "I always told him to rest and take it easy. You could see the stress on his face whenever he walked in." The nurse looked sorrowful although she was still smiling. "But the lad never gave himself a break. He told me that he would work hard to be successful one day so he could support his sister again." She clutched the medical report in her hands tightly. "On his final year, he did become successful. But he had overworked himself. His heart could take no more. 5th of March 2004, he had a heart attack and was rushed to the hospital but he never made it." Tears streamed down Minako's face. The nurse looked at her and smiled kindly, handing her a tissue. "Dear, your brother would never want to see you like this. On every visit he would drone on and on about you. You have no idea how many times he turned down the girls who came to visit him. He never let himself fall in love because he was afraid he would stray from his goal. All he thought day and night was you." The nurse guided her back to her room. Once Minako had settled down, the nurse told her, "Let time heal your grief. What you should do now is recover." Taking out a piece of paper, she scribbled something and handed the paper to her. "This is where your brother's body is buried." Heading to the door, she turned back and smiled. "Take care, and don't let your brother down." The door was shut and Minako was alone with her thoughts again.

_But I have no more time. _

Later that evening, the whole dorm came to pick her up, even Koromaru. She sighed as she listened to the doctor rambling, saying how she shouldn't move around so much to prevent to wounds from reopening again. Mitsuru handled the documents and they were off. On their way back to the dorm, she glanced at the cast on her left hand and smiled. Of course her brother spared her right hand. Without it, she'd be useless.

Back at the dorm, she used her new found powers and laughed at Junpei who wanted to sign on her cast as Odin summoned a small bolt of electricity on him, making him jump back in shock.

"Duuude! How did you do that? That was a Zio wasn't it."

Pulling an innocent face, she answered him, "Nope. It was just a small shock of static."

"Oh, right. Of course! It's impossible to use our powers outside of Dark Hour right?" Hmm, maybe she should take up her brother's advice on becoming an actress after all. "So… did you kill the Reaper?"

Everyone in the dorm dropped whatever they were doing and glanced at her. She only smiled at them and said, "Of course." Before they had a chance to open their mouths, Minako excused herself and went back to her room. Once she shut the door behind her, tears rolled down her cheeks. Taking out the photo, she stared at the smiling face of a blue haired boy and asked. "Why? I've come to accept the fact that you have moved on to a new life now. I should be feeling happy now that you have the chance to enjoy life, so why am I still so sad?" She paused and sniffed, thinking for a while. "No, I know why. Its regret I hold. At this rate, I'm going to follow your footsteps and become a Reaper too right?" Silence replied her as she stared at him grimly. She crumbled down on her bed and cried into her pillow.

After her sobbing subsided, Minako decided to go to the arcades to let out her depression despite her injuries. Walking out of her room, she was surprised to catch her dorm mates scrambling to hide themselves. She put a hand on her hip and asked sternly, "Guys, what's going on?" Squinting at their faces, each one told her that they had been spying on her. "You have been spying on me?" Seven heads whipped up, eyes on her. She held back her anger and said, "Get back to your rooms and don't spy on me again." Quickly, Minako walked past them down the stairs before she lost her cool. She knew it wasn't their fault. They were just worried. What right does she have to be angry at them? For invading her privacy? She laughed bitterly and walked out of the dorm.

…

She had originally intended to dish out at the arcades but then she remembered her injuries. Not wanting to return to the dorm, she fished around her pocket for the paper and followed the directions written by the nurse. She sat and dusted his tombstone. Her eyes scanned the unusually long paragraph of words engraved on the tombstone while running a finger over her brother's smiling picture.

_Minato Arisato_

_1980 ~ 2004_

_He has touched many of our lives. Never would he be able to celebrate and enjoy life's grandeur, its brilliance, its magnificence. _

_However, we are certain he can enjoy more in the afterlife. _

_Orphaned at the age of twelve, he never complained about his fate and lived life with his own principles. _

_For half of his life, he was a hardworking boy who constantly worked and strove to be successful for the sake of his younger sister without a single complaint. _

_He was an honorable man who deserved to live life more than any of us. _

_He, who is loved by everyone, will never be forgotten, forever etched in our hearts as Minato Arisato._

A tear hit the marble stone as she read. Whoever wrote this was right. Minato deserved to live life more than anyone, at least more than her. He devoted his life to her and she couldn't repay the favor. He couldn't even enjoy the afterlife, he hated it. Life is that unfair. She smiled remembering how her parents told her that her first word was "Minato", how she clung to her brother all the time, how she played with him everyday, how she loved him to bits. Eventually, she wiped her tears and got up. Bidding her brother goodbye, she went back to the dorm.

…

Wherever she went, she could feel intense gazes on her like an eagle eying its prey. It must've been quite a sight for a girl with a plaster cast on her left hand to walk into the classroom because the moment she stepped in, everyone looked and gasped at her as though she had just grown a third arm. A male classmate walked up to her and asked if she was alright but upon reading his thoughts, his mind only itched to know what happened. Soon, more and more people crowded her seat and bombarded her with questions. As Minako was about to open her mouth to answer, Yukari turned behind from her seat and slammed her hand down on the table making everyone jump in surprise, including Minako.

"Hey, she just got back from the hospital yesterday! Can't you all give her a break? If you want to gossip, go do it with someone else!"

The crowd dispersed. Minako couldn't help but read their mind, curious of their reactions. Most of them were unsatisfied while others were simply scrambling to get back to their seats when the bell rang. Minako only smiled and thanked Yukari for her help before realizing how hard it was to unzip her bag. Sighing, she discarded the idea and stared out of the window.

_This is going to be one long day._

…

Lunchtime arrived and Minako hurried out of the classroom with her lunch to avoid any unnecessary confrontations. She headed to the rooftop where she sat and ate solemnly while staring at the view of the city. She thought about her new found powers, her brother, her lingering depression and his last words. Her thoughts broke off when she remembered the present and ran back to her classroom just in time before the bell rang.

That day, Mr. Ekoda was in a bad mood and made them copy a lot of notes. Minako struggled, unable to write very fast due to the wounds on her right hand. Sometimes, she would let out a groan and pause the time so she could catch up with them. After a while, Minako could see that the girl sitting next to her was beginning to get suspicious as to how she would suddenly have copied down more than her in her current condition.

In the middle of speed writing, a poke to her shoulder stopped her and she turned to look at the poker. Shaking, the girl beside her stuttered and pointed at her right arm. Confused, Minako looked at her arm and noticed blood staining her school coat. She let out a small shriek, earning looks from classmates around her and a concerned look from Yukari. Waving her off, she excused herself and went to the infirmary. Unwrapping the bandage, she winced while wondering how she didn't feel the pain earlier. Suspecting that the wound reopened due to excessive writing, she silently cursed Mr. Ekoda under her breath. After a few good minutes of cleaning and waiting for the wound to stop bleeding, she grabbed a roll of bandages and bandaged her wound before returning to class.

…

The little episode at school made Minako rather exhausted. Not in the mood to do anything else, she returned to the dorm. As soon as she got to the lounge, she flopped down on the couch and fell asleep. When she woke up, she found herself on her bed. Blinking at the ceiling, she thought, _Strange, wasn't I asleep at the lounge? How did I end up here? _

"Yo sleepyhead. Had a good sleep?"

The voice made Minako sit up. She blinked at him in bewilderment while he nursed the wound that was bleeding earlier. Akihiko laughed at her expression and punched her shoulder playfully. "Hey, don't look at me like that. Yukari told me your hand started bleeding in class. Since it's Friday and I couldn't think of anything better to do, I thought I might as well spoil you a bit. It's my fault you got into this state anyway. Hey, are you alright? You look rather pale."

Minako narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously. "Probably from the lack of blood. Say, how did you know I came back to the dorm? You weren't stalking me were you?"

Akihiko chuckled, putting his hands up in defense. "I didn't. I couldn't find you anywhere. I was worried you might've passed out somewhere so I thought I should come back and see if anyone knew where you were." Pausing, he glared at her before blushing, a small smile on his lips as he spoke. "T-Then I saw you sleeping on the couch. I just thought it's better for you to sleep on a bed so I brought you up to your room." He suddenly looked worried and asked her, "Why, did I do something wrong?"

Smiling, Minako turned to him. "Nope. Rather, thank you."

"Huh?" Blushing wildly, he started, "Oh, the wound! It's nothing really. I used to do this for myself all the time-"

"No, not that. Thank you for trusting me that time."

"Oh… you're welcome?"

Quietly, she watched him bandage up her wound before giving it a good pat, telling her it's done. Holding up her hand and moving around to test it, she thanked him and laughed.

"Hey, what's so funny?"

"I just remembered. The Reaper has a message for you."

Akihiko looked at her in disbelief. "What! Y-Y-You t-talked to it?"

Minako stopped laughing and glared at him with a serious face. "Don't call him 'it'. The Reaper is a 'he'."

"Okay. So what did _he_ say?"

Akihiko's emphasis on the 'he' made Minako laugh. "He said he doesn't train. All he does is roam Tartarus."

"What? You can't be serious..." He turned to her, face cocked in confusion, "But how did you-"

Minako cocked her head at him amusingly. "The Reaper said you wanted to ask him that."

"Oh. So he's a mind reader?"

"Something like that. He was a good lad you know."

"Oh yeah? Better than me?"

Putting on a playful tone, she teased him, "Yeah. Much, much better." She paused, a thoughtful look on her face as she grinned. "Say, since it's still early wanna go to the arcades? I bet I'll kick your ass in Tekken!"

…

Every night since that night -or hour-, Minako had nightmares. Then when Dark Hour hits, the last thing she would need in her life appears. A voice would talk to her, sprouting words like she's scared and things like that. One particular night, Dark Hour hit and Minako heard the voice again.

"Hello."

Minako sighed and opened her eyes. "What do you want? Stop coming to bother me every time."

The mysterious voice spoke, "Couldn't you say hello at least? See, you're afraid like I've told you before. But don't worry, I don't bite."

She sat up in bed, annoyed. "I told you I'm not afraid! You're the one that's afraid! You don't even dare to show yourself! Now go back to wherever you came from!"

The voice giggled. "Yes you _are_ afraid. You've just killed your brother, not once but twice. He worked so hard because of you. In the end, he died because of YOU. What more do I need to say? Oh, do I need to remind you that you killed him yourself last week? In the end, you are nothing but the main cause to both of his deaths. How wonderful."

"Shut up! I killed him so he could have a better life!"

A faceless figure shaped like a human stepped out from the shadows. It snickered at her. "YOU killed him so he could have a better life? How pathetic. We both know why you killed him."

Minako eyed the figure with suspicion and reached out for her naginata. "Stop beating around the bush. What are you trying to say?"

It laughed. "What I'm trying to say is that you're the most horrible person I've ever met. Ever since Shinji died, you've been lonely, just like when mom and dad died. You were terrible. You never bothered to remember your brother who worked to his bone so he could become successful for you to leech him off. Alas, he died because of you." Pointing an accusing finger at her, it continued talking. "Ten years ago, you shut off your true emotions and put on a cheerful mask in an attempt to 'move on with life' and be strong. But ever since you killed the Reaper, your brother, that mask has begun to melt to reveal a lonely little girl, crying for her brother to shower her with the same unconditional love he did back then." Minako opened her mouth to protest but it placed a finger on her lips and feigned an insulted look. "Hey, I'm not done yet. That day, you killed your brother because he asked you to. You killed him because you felt sorry for him. You killed him because you originally didn't know that he was your brother! It was only until he told you when death knocked on his door that you began to realize your grave little mistake." The figure made a disgusted face and grunted, "How selfish."

Minako only listened to the revelations in horror. She tightened her grip on her naginata and pointed it at the figure. "That's not true! You made them all up!"

It raised an eyebrow at her and pushed the naginata away from its face. "Is that so? Now tell me honestly, had you known that the Reaper is your brother, would you still have killed him without any hesitations?"

"Of course! Why shouldn't I? He deserves to be reborn and live a better life."

The figure laughed as though it has just heard the funniest joke. "Listen to your heart. Had you known that the Reaper is your brother, you would never be able to bring yourself to kill him." The figure slammed its fist on the table. "Admit it. You know it to be true." It flicked the photograph off her table and snickered. "Right now, all you feel is… immense guilt and loneliness. Am I correct?"

Minako bent down and retrieved the picture. She dusted it and frowned at the figure. "Wrong. Goes to show how much you know about me. I do not feel loneliness. I admit guilt may have been present in my heart but what I truly feel is grief for losing my one and only brother! Having to kill my own brother never made it any better!" Minako lunged forward and pressed the blade of her naginata at the figure's throat, red eyes blazing with anger. "You have no right to tell me how I'm feeling. I am me. No one else will know me better than myself."

The figure grinned. "You are right. No one will understand themselves better than themselves. That is why I know you better than anyone in the world!"

The figure began twisting and melting before her eyes. Minako was beyond shocked. She lowered her naginata and backed away to take a second look. The figure that had reshaped itself looked exactly like her, with the exception that its eyes are gold and a black energy is radiating from its body. She narrowed her eyes and questioned the other. "Who are you? No, _what _are you?"

It laughed and sneered at her with a voice hollow and echoed. "Who am I? I am you! Don't tell me you don't recognize yourself?"

"You're a shadow. Get lost before I kill you."

It laughed again. "You want to kill me? You can never kill me. Thou art I. And I am thou. Surely you've heard of this somewhere?"

Minako gripped her naginata tightly until her knuckles turned white. "For the last time, I am NOT YOU!"

The shadow laughed maniacally. "Yes, yes! I AM YOU!"

Lounging forward, Minako screamed, "YOU"LL NEVER BE ME!" Minako hit the wall when an invisible force threw her back. The shadow laughed and a mass of black energy enveloped its body. "Ah! I thought you had achieved your resolution? It seems not! In fact, that was just the beginning." The shadow laughed and laughed, like a madman high on drugs. It stepped forward from the cloud of black energy with its hands raised in the air. Two pairs of black wings spread itself from its back, a pair by its shoulder and the other by its kidneys. Its fingers turned to claws while fangs bared from its teeth and two devil horns on its head. It looked up, gold eyes staring at red ones. "See? Even in my shadow form, I still resemble you." It summoned a portal in the room where the both of them were teleported into a room painted blood red.

Minako looked around her. "Where is this place?"

"This is the place that exists within the depths of your mind." Getting into a battle stance, the shadow sneered, "Now, let us see you kill me!"

Minako used the end of her naginata and tripped the shadow who was charging towards her. The shadow summoned a ball of fire which scalded Minako's skin as it got up. Minako summoned Skadi and casted Niflheim on the shadow who absorbed it. She stared at it in disbelief. "How could you absorb that? You were using a fire skill just now!"

The shadow only grinned and tapped its head. "Why don't you use your genius brain for a while? I am you. Of course I have all your personas. Isn't that obvious?" It frowned at Minako who only stared back with an unamused face. "I can tell you don't believe me. I shall show you then." Summoning Surt, Skadi, Helel, Thanatos, Odin, Norn and Satan, it grinned. "These are your main personas aren't they? Though your persona collection is impressive, it is not complete. Mine is." It summoned Messiah and casted a Megidolaon. The walls of the room fell apart from the blow to reveal rows of audience clapping and cheering at them.

Minako's eyes widened. The audience consists mainly of her friends. Yukari, Junpei, Aigis, Ken, Koromaru, Fuuka, Mitsuru, Akihiko, and even Shinji! She turned to the shadow. "What's the meaning of this! Why are my friends here?" The shadow laughed its hollow laugh again. "What do you mean? This is what you want. This is what the depths of your mind want! I'm surprised that you don't know what your inner mind wants!" It spread its black wings and took flight. "Look over there. Your social links are there on the right. To your left, your classmates watch you, and behind you, your family."

Minako looked around. Sure enough, all the people she had come to know were all seated cheering. Who they cheer for she doesn't know. Behind, her parents and her brother cheered loudly. She turned back to the shadow. "Stop playing mind games with me! Let us settle this fair and square." The shadow shrugged. "Fine by me." Still in air, it threw fireballs at her as she ran and dodged them. Minako summoned Thor and casted Primal Force at its wings. Its wings punctured and it fell down screaming in pain. It got back up and the holes in its wings closed up. It grinned at her. "I think you need better strategies."

Minako racked her brain while dodging the shadow's fiery punches and magic attacks, trying to connect the puzzle pieces together. If this is the depths of her mind, the people around are actually fragments of her memory. The shadow is able to summon all her personae, including ones she hasn't discovered because it claims to be her. So, since she is battling against her other personality in her mind, she can end it by killing her current personality? But why would she do that? She dodged an ice block and countered it with a Morning Star which made the shadow take flight again. At that moment, Minako wished she had wings too. Suddenly, a pair of white majestic wings grew from her back and spread itself to take flight. She grinned and looked at the shadow as they both hovered in the air. "You know what? Scratch strategies. I've discovered something great."

Using her wings, she generated a tornado and sent flames, blocks of ice and thunder bolts spinning together in the tornado. She shot out her arm and like rubber, it elongated and she grabbed the shadow by its neck. Throwing it into the raging tornado, she got the audiences to summon their personas and bombard the shadow with various skills. The shadow screamed in agony from being unable to protect itself against the bombardment of skills. An explosion erupted from the shadow and the audience's personas were tossed aside like ragdolls. The shadow stood up, body radiating more black energy as it stared at Minako in anger. "How dare you belittle me!" Trembling with anger, it declared, "You shall face the wrath of your own evil!" It raised its hands and summoned Metatron, Melchizedek, Thor, Messiah, Beelzebub, Siegfried, Sandalphon and Helel. The eight ultimate personas combined their powers and rained blow after blow of Armageddons on her.

After much running and dodging, Minako's energy shield was beginning to wear off from the series of Armageddons. Bracing herself, she lifted her energy shield and let out a deafening scream. The personas vanished and the last two Armageddons casted reflected back to the shadow using the remaining energy from the shield. It screamed as it collapsed onto the ground, defeated. The room vanished and they were back at the dorm in her room. Minako offered a hand to help the shadow up. She pulled the shadow in for a hug and said, "Yeah, you're right. You are me. I just didn't want to acknowledge you but that's the horrible fact." Pulling away, she looked at the shadow with a deadpanned face. "But I have to say one thing. What you said about how I felt about killing my brother is wrong. I will never acknowledge that fact."

The shadow smiled and stabbed her gut with a pocket knife. "You think this is over? I've been rejected all my life." The shadow's smile faded and turned into a look of hatred. "Finally, after all these years, I've been given the one and only chance to avenge that fact. I will make you accept and acknowledge me!" It seethed with anger. "If you won't, I will kill you myself." Minako looked on in alarm as the shadow suddenly collapsed holding its head while screaming in agony as its shape began to melt and alter again.

It dropped its hands from its head and looked up, an evil grin on its face as its gold eyes glimmered with excitement. "Hi. It's nice to meet you."

Minako looked at the shadow over and over again. No matter how many times she looked at it, she saw her brother. She grabbed her naginata and planted it at its throat. "Now who are you? Are you my brother's shadow?"

He smiled and pushed the blade away. "Excellent deduction my dear sister."

Minako narrowed her eyes at him. "So the shadow I fought previously wasn't mine? It was you?"

He paced her room in a businesslike manner. "That shadow was indeed yours. She only managed to fight you because I gave her the temporary license needed to interfere with human lives. Now, her time is up and I'm revoking her license before she kills you. Nowhere does it say that I am not allowed to do so. Why, it is _my_ license after all." He stopped pacing and held her chin smirking. "You should be thanking me, no?"

Slapping his hand away she pulled out the pocket knife and stabbed him. "Why should I thank you? You have other intentions in coming to see me, just like her."

The shadow laughed as he pulled the knife out from his gut and devoured it. "My, my, my, what do we have here? I see you're rather keen on killing me?" He paced her room and continued. "The reason why you should thank me is because I too, was rejected by my 'own self' for my sister, aka _your_ sake." Smiling, he asked, "Want to see some magic?" He ignored Minako's protests as he touched her ear and pulled out a cleaver. Leaning forward, he whispered, placing the sharp blade of the cold metal by her throat, "I will kill you. You ruined my life. I never got any rest because I worked tirelessly for your sake. I never enjoyed life's little wonders because of that too." He kneed her gut with force, knocking the wind out of her. Flinging the cleaver on the floor, he made a disgusted face. "That is how I came to have regrets when I died. That's why!" Shaking with rage, he slapped her with hatred burned in his eyes as he screamed. "THAT'S WHY I TURNED TO THE REAPER! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW I SUFFERED THERE! ITS ALL BECAUSE OF YOU!" He turned away and took several deep breaths in an effort to calm himself down. "Regret for not being able to see my sister? _My sister_ who did nothing but had fun in her life? Tch. That's all a piece of crap." He turned back to her. "We had a better life when mom and dad were still alive. Perhaps if you were never born, I would've lived life the way I wanted instead of working myself to my own death."

Tears streamed down Minako's cheeks as she approached her brother's shadow. "I know." She hugged him while she sobbed. "I know. It's my fault. Had I known I had a brother, I would rather give up an easy life just to be with him. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I-" The shadow shoved her away. "IT'S TOO LATE NOW! I AM DEAD!" The shadow produced a silver gun, laughing like a madman. He took aim on her and fired. Minako only stood still as the bullets hit her shield. "IT'S TOO LATE FOR YOU TO SAY SORRY! I CANNOT BE REBORN! I CAN NEVER ENJOY LIFE ANYMORE!"

Minako's eyes widen at those words. She looked up at him with horror. "What do you mean? He can't be reborn anymore? But he told me he's going to his new family!" The shadow only looked at her with what seemed like scorn. "He's lying. He lied to protect you. He always did." He heaved a deep sigh and explained. "Every time he tries to enter the world as a new individual, he is born dead. Do you know why?" Minako only looked at him with forlorn eyes as she shook her head. He looked down and said, "It's because he couldn't bring himself to leave you alone in this cruel world. He couldn't bear to let go of the memory he had with you." He broke down, crying tears of self-pity. "He couldn't let you go. A body cannot live without a soul. His soul is constantly longing for you, longing to be with you. That's why he couldn't be reborn." Suddenly, he was right in front of her, glaring with hateful eyes. "In the end, it's always you, ruining my life. That's why, I will eliminate this problem and end my suffering by killing you."

Another portal opened and they were brought to a place that resembled outer space. There, he let out a deafening roar as his skin cracked and shattered. In its place now stood a wolf in dark grey fur. Sharp claws scratched against the floor as it lunged and pounced on her. It growled at her in a deep voice. "Don't bother trying to summon your personas. This is my territory. This is the depths of my mind!" Locking her in its grip, it snarled. "I control you here. No matter how powerful you are, it is useless here. Your brother's soul has been chained. He cannot make his appearance to help you." It howled and clawed her, trying to break her shield. "STOP!" A voice made the shadow turn its head, stopped dead in its tracks. The shadow turned pale at the sight of Minato walking towards them, shoes clacking against the floor with every step. It stared in bewilderment at the man dressed in a white formal suit standing before him, an amused smirk on its lips, hands in his pockets. The wolf roared and demanded, "HOW DID YOU ESCAPE MY DEMONIC CHAIN!"

Minato only snickered. "Your 'demonic chain'? Pft, that thing is practically metal. All I did was heat it up using Ragnarok so it expanded. All I had to do was slip the chains off my hands. As easy as that." Minato walked over to Minako and pulled her into his embrace. Smirking at his shadow he said, "Ever heard of science?"

Minako let out a small shriek. "Brother, your hands, they're burnt!"

Pulling up his hand, he looked it over. "Ah, you're right." Chuckling he said, "It must've been too hot. Look, I can see my bones!" Looking at his wrist in wonder, his curiosity got the better of him. He poked the exposed bone but felt nothing. Minato shrugged as flesh and skin grew back. Grinning wider than the Cheshire cat, he pulled on his white leather gloves and unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt for more mobility, revealing a muscular chest in the process. Charging forward in a blinding speed, he grabbed the shadow and threw multiple series of punches followed by a powerful judo throw. He buried the heel of an expensive leather shoe in the shadow's face and laughed, "You really love me to beat you up, don't you?"

The shadow delivered a strong punch that sent Minato flying. "Who do you think I'm doing this for! I'm doing this for you!"

Minato got up and lunged forward. Sliding at the shadow's hind leg, it lost its balance and fell face first. Glaring at each other, Minato grabbed the wolf by its tail and smirked. "More like for your own amusement. Let me warn you. This is _MY_ territory. With me here, your influence is minimal." He spun around and flung the wolf at a wall, Reaper style. Minato brought out two revolvers-ones he used as a Reaper-and fired away at the beast. The shadow deflected the bullets and leaped, landing on the man in white suit. Minato grinned and punched the wolf's snout like a sandbag, somehow swapping positions in the process -Minato on the shadow.

Like a cat, the wolf clawed Minato's face and escaped from his grip. It pounced on Minako who shoved it away with her naginata and stabbed it in the chest. The shadow instantly recovered and pounced on Minako once more. Holding her captive, the wolf hammered a strong fist on her shield until it shattered. It brought a knife to her throat and turned to Minato who had just recovered from the attack and hissed. "Don't move! You move a step and I kill her."

Minato only laughed, body automatically healing the previous damages taken. "You are really stupid even though you're supposed to be me. Have you forgotten? I am the _original_ Minato here. I have the biggest influence here. Hence, I have the upper hand here. You know I can easily turn the tables around."

Blood trickled down the wolf's face. "You do your thing and I do my thing." It released Minako from its grip which was immediately held down to the floor by an invisible force. The wolf smiled slyly and disappeared.

Minato looked around him. "Where are you? Stop being such a coward and come out." A figure flew past him with great speed, leaving only a shadow. Minato spun around and sent a roundhouse kick to the shadow's face. The shadow dropped to the ground holding its face. Minato bent down and stared at the wolf. "It's pointless for you to do that. You know very well that I can stop or slow down time."

The shadow spat. "Liar. You're supposed to have passed those powers on to her! How can you still have it! The eye is no longer there!"

Minato smoothed his coat. "I'm not sure myself. Maybe it's because somehow I still have two eyes?" He shot a deadly look at the shadow who gulped. "But all I know is that I still have those powers and that's what matters. I will use them against you to protect my sister if you intend to harm her." The shadow dived forward and tackled Minato to the ground. It punched his face several times and then grabbed Minato's head to snap it. Minato hissed in pain and tossed the shadow off his body. Twisting his head back into position, Minato jumped and stomped a foot on the shadow's face, somehow causing its long snout to dent inwards as Minato did a backflip and landed elegantly, smoothing his coat once more. The shadow got up in a rage. Dodging the shadow's jabs Minato laughed, "Look at your face! I never knew this could be possible in any way!" Minato grabbed an oncoming fist and landed five quick, strong kicks on the shadow's face. It staggered back holding its bruised face and looked up. Both glared at each other, Minato's eyes burning with vengeance and the shadow's in disgust.

The shadow roared and charged towards Minato. He anticipated the charge and hoisted himself on the shadow's shoulders as soon as it got near. The shadow whipped around and grabbed Minato's leg. It twirled and flung Minato who only side flipped and landed with his legs spread for a wider base area and hands for support, his getup increasing his elegance. He stood up and looked at his shadow while straightening his coat, grinning in an intimidating manner. "So, what do you say? My fighting style has certainly become more refined and elegant, no?" He laughed and paced the area. "You have my gratitude for that. Thank you for the constant practices." His smile disappeared and he moved with the speed of a cheetah, appearing next to the shadow in seconds. He grabbed its neck and twisted it while kneeing its backbone. A card appeared in his hand and he tore it with his teeth, summoning the persona Odin who casts Heaven's Punishment, a greatly amplified version of Thunder Reign. The shadow shook and trembled as shock rippled through his body, fur fried from the extremely merciless bolt of thunder. Minato released his grip on the shadow who fell onto the ground limply. He smiled with accomplishment and stared down at his victim. The shadow recovered and got back into its battle stance. Minato raised his eyebrow and summoned Surt. "Hell's Wrath!" The wolf's fur was completely burnt off this time and left barely standing. Minato chuckled to see his shadow staggering. "I see your endurance has increased too. Skadi! Norn! Blizzard Storm!" Cold wind mixed with huge chunks of ice swept the shadow off its feet into the whirlwind of ice, tossing it around like clothes in a washing machine. The strong wind died down and the wolf dropped on the floor shivering.

Eventually, the shadow recovered from the frostbite and slammed a fist on the floor. "That's it! I've had enough. You can beat me up a million times but I will never leave you or your sister alone!" It narrowed its eyes and glared at Minato intensely. "One day, I will make you accept me whether you like it or not. But for now, I will let the both of you go."

They turned and looked at each other, face twisted with annoyance at the other's persistence. Shoving his hands into his pockets he frowned. "Why must you drag my sister into this mess? This is a matter to be solved between you and I."

"Since we cannot come into an agreement, this is the only way I can think of."

Minato looked away and ran a hand through his hair, groaning in frustration. "You really want me to do this don't you."

The shadow cocked its head in confusion as it melted and altered back to its human figure. "Do what?"

Minato removed his gloves and tucked it into his pocket. His palm burst with flames and he brought it under his other hand, burning it. The shadow clenched its hand and hissed in pain. The fire extinguished as he clenched his fist. He pulled on his gloves and spoke, "You and I are connected now because we are both nothing but wondering souls of the same individual. Whatever pain I feel, you feel it too. That's why your hands got burnt as I burnt mine." Minato looked grim as he said, "I can end your life even if it means wiping my existence from the universe forever, forfeiting my chance of living life again. But as long as that means you can never disturb my sister, the price I have to pay is nothing." Minato shot out an arm and grabbed his shadow by the neck, dragging him up. His blue eyes blazing in anger as he said, "I'll ask this once again. Do you want this, your existence to be wiped out? You know I will never accept you and you know it too."

The shadow stared at him darkly. "I have a question. Why are you willing to erase your existence merely to erase my existence as well? Is your sister's life more precious than yours?"

Without any hesitation, Minato replied firmly, "Yes. I devoted and swore that I will protect her from any danger the moment our parents died. There is no reason for me to stop doing so only for my own benefit."

"I see. Then wouldn't accepting me be the easiest option for all of us?"

Minato slammed the shadow on the floor with anger. "I've told you time and again that I will never accept anything that rejects my sister, including myself. How can I make you understand that fact?"

The shadow melted away from his grip and appeared behind him. "You can never make me understand." He turned to Minako and said, "Just you wait. I'll be back."

Minato smirked and produced a knife. "I see. How foolish is it of me to harbor sympathy for you. I should have killed you a long time ago. At least back then it wouldn't have cost me a thing."

Minako strained against the force holding her down as she screamed, "No! Don't kill yourself! It's not worth it!" She banged a fist on the floor and cried. "You deserve to live. Why are you doing this? Why are you torturing yourself? Let him bother me, I don't mind!"

It broke Minato's heart to see his beloved sister in such a state. Every single day when he was alive, he hoped—prayed—that one day he could bring back her real smile, the most beautiful sight in the world. Not see her forced smile. Even now, as he is dead, he hated to see her cry like how she did ten years ago. He knows that outside, she is a strong person, but no matter what, inside she is still the little girl ten years ago. He turned to her, facial expressions softening as he spoke. "I am doing this because I want to. I torture myself because I want to. All this because I want to, not out of responsibility as a brother." At the corner of his eye, he sees his shadow charging towards Minako. He brought the blade up and mutters a few words to his sister before stabbing himself directly at his heart. His shadow disappeared with a scream and slowly, Minato collapsed to the ground smiling at his sister, tears flowing down his face as his body vanishes into thin air.

Minako was released from her bounds and she was back in her room in an instant. Her eyes never once moved from where she last saw her brother. She stared at the knife in the pool of blood on the floor of her room in disbelief. Tears flowed down as her brother's truly final words echoed in her head. Minako crawled over to the puddle sobbing, mind in a state of denial. Tears mixed with blood. Life, she realized, is harsh and unfair. She picked up the knife and stared at her reflection. Holding the bloody knife, she smiled as she wiped a tear and said, "Crying won't bring you back into existence wont it? Don't worry brother. I will live life so full of smiles even Nyx will get blinded by it!" She fist pumped the air with the knife in her hands.

The knife fell and Minako bent down to pick it up. Upon closer inspection, it appears to be a butterfly knife. Shrugging, she flipped it close and stood up. Death stared at her. Minako frowned and walked to her bed. "What do you want?"

Death watched her every movement. "I've received word that your will to live is close to minimal. Therefore, I am giving you a special invitation. Would you like to join us Deaths in the Underworld?"

Minako stared back. "Correction. My will to live _was_ close to minimal. That I know. You really had to come at the wrong time." Shaking her head, she told Death. "I know you're not the Death that dwelled in me. The Death that I raised for ten years is no longer with me. That's why I know it is alright to kill you." She narrowed her eyes and stared at Death determinedly, a smile on her lips. "My will to live is now the strongest among the eighteen years of my life!" Pointing an accusing finger at Death, she muttered, a dark look in her eyes. "You shall vanish. I. Will. Live. Death's weakest point is the will to live life. Now, be gone!" It gave an ear piercing shriek and melted into black goo as Minako somehow radiated a bright light filled with life. She giggled and snapped her fingers. "Critical hit!"

Another Death appeared and glared at her with an unamused look. It opened its mouth and said, "The other Death -one that dwelled in you- wanted me to pass this message to you." It frowned and scratched its head as it recited the message with a monotonous voice. "A normal persona-user's resolution has only one stage. However, a wild card's resolution is different. It not only takes a minimum of five stages but each stage achieved unfolds a special power for the user, the first being the weakest. The total number of stages to achieve ultimate resolution varies for each individual. As for you, you've successfully gone through five stages, the first being the time where you defeated the Reaper, the second when you encountered your shadow, third when you encountered your brother's shadow, fourth when your brother killed himself for you and fifth, when you faced Death. However, your ultimate resolution has not yet been achieved. When will you find it? How will you find it? How many more stages are there left for you? Time is running out but fear not. Fate will bring you to your ultimate resolution before your time is up. May you discover your new found powers. Love, Death." The messenger stared at her one last time and bid farewell before vanishing. Minako only stood there gaping at the new fact and thanked the air.

Just as the Dark Hour is about to end, a miniature version of the previous two Deaths appeared. By the looks of it, this is most probably a baby Death. Unlike the other two who seemed… dead, this one seemed pretty excited as it spoke. "Hey, hey! Here's a trivia for you, hot-off-the-press-news from the underworld!" It floated to her ear and whispered secretively. "Your brother had gone through eighteen stages before achieving his ultimate resolution. But that's not it! What makes this hot news is that he achieved his ultimate resolution after he died thrice!" It looked at Minako expectantly. She pondered about this and urged the little lad to continue. It waved its hands around as it spoke. "It begins like this. This man didn't find his answer to life. As a result, he became one of us Deaths in the form of a Reaper." The baby Death punched the air and huffed. "Then you came along and kicked his butt! But then he still hadn't found it. So he became a wondering soul." It stopped and frowned. "Wait. Actually, those big, big Deaths somewhere out there said they let him free since he met the criteria but he was hesitant about something so he couldn't be reborn no matter what! That's why he's a wondering soul!" By now, it seemed out of breath and rather proud of itself. It stared at Minako with wide eager eyes.

Minako looked at it and asked, "So how, or rather, what made him trigger his ultimate resolution?"

The baby Death shrugged. It pointed a small bony finger at her and said, "You should know the details." It zoomed around her room as she thought about it. Resting on her bed it asked her, "Hey, hey! Wanna go see the real deal? I can transport us to the scene as spectators!"

Minako nodded firmly and they were engulfed by a bright light. She opened her eyes and stared in disbelief. It was the time where he killed himself to save her! Her little companion was so excited that she couldn't bring herself to make it bring them back. She only watched the scene unfold.

…

Minato smirked and produced the knife, flicking it open. "I should have killed you a long time ago. At least back then it wouldn't cost me a thing."

She watched herself strain against the force holding her down as she screamed, "Don't kill yourself! It's not worth it!" She banged a fist on the floor and cried. "You deserve to live. Why are you doing this? Why are you torturing yourself?"

Her brother turned to her, facial expressions softening as he spoke. "I am doing this because I want to. I torture myself because I want to. All this because I want to, not out of responsibility as a brother." Minako smiled. That was very much like the Minato she knew. Loving and selfless. For the first time, she could see the weariness on his face. The stubble on his jaw only made him look older and mature for his age. Then she realized, the playful boy from the photograph is gone. He has grown up to be a tall and strong, cool and mature, yet handsome young man. His fancy getup only made him look all the more... seductive.

That's when she realized the baby Death was no longer next to her. She looked around in a panic and smiled when she saw the little fella taking pictures with a camera. She went up to it and placed a hand on its shoulder, pausing the flow of time while she smiled cunningly. Minako whipped out her cellphone and took pictures along with Death. Once she had gotten the perfect shot of her brother, she resumed the flow of time while she and Death continued snapping away.

The shadow behind him suddenly got up and jerked forward at her direction. Minato brought the knife up. He turned to her and said with a smile, "I'm afraid this is truly goodbye. Live your life happily and smile always. Your smile always made everything I've done worthwhile. I love you Minako. Thank you for being my sister." With his shadow inches away from her, sprawled on the ground, her brother stabbed himself. The shadow vanished with a scream. Slowly, her brother's body collapsed to the ground smiling at her, his white suit stained with blood as tears flowed down his face. He managed to whisper the words as his body slowly vanishes into thin air. "Farewell. I… love… you."

While the baby Death applauded, she only smiled sadly as she lowered her phone, every second of the replayed scene captured. Not a single tear shed. So that's how he came to his ultimate resolution. Now that she has experienced and witnessed it, she could understand her brother's actions better. They were brought back to her room and she gave the excited Death a small pat on its head. "Thanks. I really appreciate what you've told and done for me just now." Much to her amusement, the young Death fidgeted, a shade of pink on its face. She chuckled and offered a candy which it accepted with glimmering eyes. It shoved the camera into her hands as a sign of gratitude. Thanking it again, she sent it away as the Dark Hour ended.

She looked out of the window and stared at the moon as she remembered her brother's smiling face, filled with so many emotions. Maybe it was the power of the eye that made her see them. Sad, happy, accomplished, proud, lost, unwilling, guilty, hesitant, content. She could go on and on. But what really captured her attention was his smile. She hardly saw him smile after the accident. Even if he did, it was a forced smile. But this smile, was different. It felt true, real, sincere, happy… all coming from the heart. Maybe this is what her brother meant by telling her to smile. Not the forced unnatural smile, but her real smile born from her heart.

She flopped on the bed and ran through the pictures taken by the young Death. She chuckled upon realizing even a baby Death can take better pictures than her. Unconsciously, she smiled as she browsed through the pictures and laughed seeing it had even taken a few shots of her as well. She grabbed her phone and browsed through her own set of pictures, stopping at one particular picture of her brother. His gentle smile and determined sea blue eyes captured every single detail of his weary face. His unbuttoned shirt revealed his muscular build, white coat hanging on his body perfectly well as he pulled on his white gloves. But his eyes, they seemed to be looking at the camera as though he knew he was being photographed. She saved it as her wallpaper and moved on to the next picture. Her heart ached. Her brother was lying on the ground smiling as tears fell, his white coat stained red, his existence slowly vanishing. She stared into his eyes and forced back tears. Looking at his content face, she smiled and snapped her phone shut. _Brother, I understand now. You needn't worry about me anymore. I'll be alright on my own._

* * *

><p>In case you're wondering if this is the end of the story, no it isn't.<p>

The story can't end when she hasn't found her ultimate resolution yet! =.=

And, I actually, actually made a pic of Minako talking to baby Death. Just head over to my Deviant art account to see it. Thumbs up to those who recognize who baby Death is! :D You know what? Since i'm so free I will just put it here:

http:/nil-nyx(dot)deviantart(dot)com/#/d4i80hl

LOL

One last thing, I know that Minako could've been killed pretty easily but if you watch all those shows or cartoons, villains talk more than they harm. I guess that's supposed to be psychology failed? *shrugs* Well, whatever is it, I only followed the trend. :D Anyway if I killed her, I wouldn't know what to do with Nyx… :/ So i'm sorry if it turned out weird or just fake or Minako just seems to be sitting there and not uttering a single word because I'm perfectly aware of that problem. However, I dont think she's really capable of doing anything since I made her stuck there anyway... xD so meh. deal with it.


End file.
